The inaugural meeting of the first federal project steering committee on the Operationalization and Sustainability of Integrated Agro-Industrial Parks (OS-IAIP) in Ethiopia project – which will mark a significant milestone in the country’s agricultural and industrial sectors – was held on 12 April 2024 at Sheraton Addis.
The project is financed through a soft loan of €22 million to the Ethiopian Government/Ministry of Industry from the Italian Government via the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). The project aims to establish food laboratories and ensure food safety quality and traceability systems in and around the four IAIPs. AICS also granted €2 million to UNIDO to provide technical assistance for MoI implementing the project.
The first FPSC meeting featured with the participation of high-level officials from federal and regional governmental institutions and development partners as well as the projects donor Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).
H.E. Minister Mr. Melaku Alebel, leading the discussion, emphasized the necessity of bolstering integrated agro-industrial parks with advanced frameworks for food quality, safety, and traceability systems.
Minister Melaku Alebel pointed out that the integrated agro-industrial parks program could offer solutions to existing infrastructure and policy challenges within the agricultural sector.
He outlined the program’s critical objectives, including attracting reputable domestic and international investors, ensuring product quality, and establishing effective food safety and traceability mechanisms. The minister also highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts to overcome financial and foreign currency challenges in the sector and the need for a functional organizational structure to support the program’s goals.
Ms. Aurelia Calabro, the UNIDO representative and director, underscored the potential of the industrial cluster to generate significant benefits by creating backward and forward linkages that would strengthen both local and international companies.
She stressed the importance of focusing on the integrated agro-industrial parks’ food safety and quality laboratories, as well as their safety and traceability systems for value chains.
Ms. Alexandra, the Deputy Head for AICS also reaffirmed AICS commitment in supporting the OS-IAIP intervention and the Ethiopian government in addressing the rural industrialization and inclusive and sustainable development during her speech.
The meeting concluded with the endorsement and official inauguration of the OS-IAIP project’s global plan of action, marking the establishment of the federal project steering committee—a crucial step toward realizing the vision of sustainable and operational integrated agro-industrial parks in Ethiopia.
The Ministry of Industry and UNIDO expressed their sincere gratitude to AICS for their unwavering cooperation in funding various interventions in Ethiopian.